More offsite hotels to offer Extra Magic Hours and extended FastPass+ booking window

[OG Runner]

I have not read the replies but wanted to share an email I got from DVC. I had sent a letter and an email just expressing my feelings toward this new move.

Thank you for contacting us regarding Disney Vacation Club Member benefits.

I am very sorry for your disappointment regarding the addition of our Good Neighbor Hotels to include the additional benefit of a 60 day booking window for Disney FastPass+ selections. Please know, this perk is only available for Guests that are booking Resort reservations and services through the Walt Disney Travel Company and staying one of our qualifying Resorts. This includes Resort Packages made at some of our Good Neighbor Hotel Partners. Our Resort Packages include some benefits and services that are provided by the Walt Disney World Resort which is one of the reasons our Partners have been included in some of these benefits.

We appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with us. The feedback we receive from our Members is very important to us. As we strive to improve the benefits and services we provide to our Members, we are constantly evaluating our operation. You may be assured your input will be taken seriously.

Should you have any additional questions or would like to speak directly, I would be happy to discuss your comments further. I am typically in the office Saturday through Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET and can be reached by calling . You may also provide me with your telephone number and the best time to call as a reply to this message. I am happy to contact you.



I also got a phone call and a voice message. haven't decided if I'm going to call to discuss further or not.

What a nice, polite way of saying, thank you for your concerns, TOO BAD!

 

[Missing20K]

I’m sure there’s a ton of value in Disney knowing where those offsite guests plan to be an extra 30 days out.

Welcome to the era of Big Data, where quantifiable customer metrics trump qualitative customer satisfaction.

 

[MouseMelly]

Honestly... the advanced booking stress is why I prefer MaxPass. The level playing field is so much better for my overall enjoyment. And I really get all the rides in one day, instead of fighting for ONE FP+ as mentioned. I don’t mean to cross threads here, but I believe this is the wag the dog moment. All of the WDW loyals will come to loathe FP+ and beg for MaxPass.

I’m a Disney travel agent as a side-thing which started just for fun. But getting up at 6am 60 days out just to tell a client that I couldn’t get Slinky Dog (and soon all of SWGE) really makes me question if it’s worth it.

 

[DonaldDoleWhip]

I’m a Disney travel agent as a side-thing which started just for fun. But getting up at 6am 60 days out just to tell a client that I couldn’t get Slinky Dog (and soon all of SWGE) really makes me question if it’s worth it.

On the bright side, once Galaxy’s Edge and Runaway Railway have opened up, you will be able to get Slinky Dog. #blessed

 

[MouseMelly]

On the bright side, once Galaxy’s Edge and Runaway Railway have opened up, you will be able to get Slinky Dog. #blessed

That is true!!

 

[jaxonp]

Probably not, more people will be coming to DHS than ever before and all the FPs will be gone.

 

[Roakor]

Sadly, serious.

My favorite time to visit the parks is in the evening, when evening EMH first came out they were fantastic because it truly was a perk to onsite guests and was an enjoyable experience. Now the experience is like going to the DMV (at night). I've attended two AH events at the MK and DAK and it was truly enjoyable. We had a great time and enjoyed ourselves. As much as it pains me to say, I would rather stay offsite at a far better and cheaper hotel than the deluxe Disney offerings and use the saved money to purchase after hours tickets.

Unless there is some future tiered program to give perks to value/moderate/deluxe/onsite (non-Disney hotels), there is absolutely no advantage/reason to stay at a Disney Hotel anymore, especially a Deluxe one.

This is something I was just considering. Stay offsite and use the saved money to just buy AH for all the parks. My only concern is if they start increasing the number of people they allow into the AH event.

 

[MisterPenguin]

On the bright side, once Galaxy’s Edge and Runaway Railway have opened up, you will be able to get Slinky Dog. #blessed

Right now, FEA, TSM, and even 7DMT FPs aren't too hard to get thanks to FoP and SDD.

This Fall, FoP and SDD will be easy to get.

When Rat and GotG open, then MMRR and RotR and SR will be easy to get.

Just set one's sights on last year's big thing!

 

[Lensman]

OK. So I had a "silver lining" thought...

So lets say Disney does dilute the 60-day FastPass+ and EMH benefits by including too many outside resorts. This will presumably reduce the incentive to stay onsite, right? So fewer people will be willing to pay the price premium that Disney charges onsite guests, right? So hopefully prices will come down or at least go up less, right?

I have to admit that I stayed on-site even back before the 60-day FastPass+. Also, I viewed early-morning EMH to be a mixed blessing because I'm not a morning person. And I don't recall there being any late-night EMH but that might be because we always went in the off-season. But the on-site premium was much less back then, too, I recall, so maybe going back to those times would be a net plus for me?

Nah, people nowadays will continue to pay every higher onsite premiums because they are less discerning.

 

[DisneyDreamer08]

Every now and then, I look into the Disney Springs hotels but for us, the deciding factor is always transportation. We like the convenience of the Disney buses and the fact that 90% of the time, they arrive every 15-20 minutes. We don’t want to deal with rental cars, parking, traffic etc on our vacation. If the Disney Springs hotels ever up their bus service, we would certainly make the switch now.

 

[OG Runner]

Right now, FEA, TSM, and even 7DMT FPs aren't too hard to get thanks to FoP and SDD.

This Fall, FoP and SDD will be easy to get.

When Rat and GotG open, then MMRR and RotR and SR will be easy to get.

Just set one's sights on last year's big thing!

So a new goal in everyone's lives will be to live long enough to get the Fast Passes you really want.

 

[monothingie]

On the bright side, once Galaxy’s Edge and Runaway Railway have opened up, you will be able to get Slinky Dog. #blessed

Not when the park closes due to capacity.

 

[MisterPenguin]

So a new goal in everyone's lives will be to live long enough to get the Fast Passes you really want.

What else is there to live for?

 

[LittleBuford]

Every now and then, I look into the Disney Springs hotels but for us, the deciding factor is always transportation. We like the convenience of the Disney buses and the fact that 90% of the time, they arrive every 15-20 minutes. We don’t want to deal with rental cars, parking, traffic etc on our vacation. If the Disney Springs hotels ever up their bus service, we would certainly make the switch now.

If you’re seriously considering making the switch, don’t forget that Uber and Lyft are also options.

 

[backinaction]

Probably not, more people will be coming to DHS than ever before and all the FPs will be gone.

This^

 

[backinaction]

This is something I was just considering. Stay offsite and use the saved money to just buy AH for all the parks. My only concern is if they start increasing the number of people they allow into the AH event.

This is my concern also. I watched a youtube of an after hours event and the park seemed too empty. My thoughts are disney won't allow it to stay that empty for long.

 

[Justin Walker]

The perks for staying on-site have NEVER been worth the added cost! I love staying at Wyndham Bonnet Creek, or even one of the Marriott timeshare resorts, and I will never ever understand why people pay the insanely high rates that Disney charges for Motel 6 rooms, when you could be staying in much nicer accommodations for less money.

 

[Andrew C]

I will never ever understand why people pay the insanely high rates that Disney charges

The convenience. The ambiance. The extra magic hours. For their kids. For themselves. For the experience. Everyone has their reasons for doing so...

 

[Tom P.]

The perks for staying on-site have NEVER been worth the added cost! I love staying at Wyndham Bonnet Creek, or even one of the Marriott timeshare resorts, and I will never ever understand why people pay the insanely high rates that Disney charges for Motel 6 rooms, when you could be staying in much nicer accommodations for less money.

Where are you staying in much nicer accommodations for $97 per night? Because that's the rate I'm looking at for All-Star Movies in August.

 

[OG Runner]

The perks for staying on-site have NEVER been worth the added cost! I love staying at Wyndham Bonnet Creek, or even one of the Marriott timeshare resorts, and I will never ever understand why people pay the insanely high rates that Disney charges for Motel 6 rooms, when you could be staying in much nicer accommodations for less money.

Sorry, but I have always found the perks for staying on property HAVE been worth the price. I have stayed at many of the Disney
resorts including the Polynesian and even All Star Sport. On average, I stay at the Caribbean Beach Resort. The convenience of being
very close to two of the parks is in and of itself been worth it to me. Just a few questions. Do you rent a car? Do you pay for parking at
the Wyndham Bonnet Creek? Do you pay for parking at the parks? I don't and those three items can add up.